Innovation

Part of being innovative is pushing the envelope, sometimes with completely different paradigms. At Trinity Innovations, we celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and have found that collaboration with other outside-the-box thinkers makes possible creation, new invention and solutions thought not possible. So we will be starting a community of like-minded adventurous people where ideas can be shared either publicly or confidentially. Until we have this set up, we are encouraging feedback about the innovative products and ideas we’re developing.

You have ideas? We want to hear about them.

Whether it’s about our current product portfolio, a product/solution you are looking for or a product concept you have, just click on the “Let’s Collaborate” link below and let us know what you are thinking.

Investigation: Applying an edge finish with clear coatings on MDF to achieve the same look as the face has long been a challenge for millworkers. One of the key features to Trinity’s Colored MDF is eliminating the need for laminates, achieving a finished looking affect only with clear coating. But getting the edges to have the same color and consistency was not possible with traditional edge sealers and coatings.

Solution: Trinity partnered with a coatings expert and together we developed a coating and finishing system that seals the edge in a way that, when top coated, provides a consistent look from face to edge. Trinity is now supplying finished panels with this system, or we can provide your production team with the techniques to achieve this same quality finish.

Challenge: Achieve a Class A Fire Rating For Bamboo Poles

Investigation: We found many companies who apply a topical treatment to bamboo poles to achieve fire resistance – with varying degrees of success. But this treatment was temporary and could wear or wash off. We wanted a more permanent solution by infusing fire retardance all the way through the bamboo. For applications that require a certified Class A flamespread as tested to the extreme ASTM E-84 test method, like hotels/resorts, restaurants and theme parks, there weren’t any solutions that provided this level of safety performance whether for indoor or outdoor uses.

Solution: Relying on our extensive understanding of fire behavior with natural products and our experience in fire retardant chemistry, we developed a proprietary treatment process that successfully achieved an astonishingly low flamespread of 10 – well below the limit of 25 to achieve a Class A. This breakthrough resulted in the creation of TriFlekta FR.

Challenge: Achieve a Wood Grain Effect for Tricoya ExDF

Investigation: Tricoya ExDF is a game changing exterior panel product that carries a 50 year outdoor guarantee to remain dimensionally stable and in tact, even without any sealants or coatings. For decorative purposes, solid paint coatings and stains can easily be used to fit the design palette if solid colors are specified. However, when a wood grain appearance is needed, there were no solutions.

Solution: Trinity realized that architects and designers specify many types of wood species depending on the final effect they want to create, mainly for interior applications. But for outdoors, few choices exist that allows large exterior surface areas to be covered with wood species that are typically only used indoors. So our approach was to laminate wood grain veneer to Tricoya ExDF that would hold up to extreme outdoor environments.

The challenge was two-fold.

The first was to find an adhesive with excellent exterior durability. Thanks to Franklin Adhesives, the right adhesive was identified which passed accelerated weathering tests and QUV exposure.

The second was identifying a clear coat that would protect the veneer. Through many trials, Trinity found a coating system that not only gave us excellent protection from weathering but also provided outstanding protection from discoloration and oxidation caused by intense sun exposure that could be re-applied in the field as part of an ongoing maintenance program.

This innovation has now made possible the specification and use of large panels with unlimited wood grain options for exterior cladding, rain screen, signage, exterior doors and trim using a natural wood-based product.